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August 1, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



over the ground. Tie them up to stout 

 stakes. This will insure good ripening 

 of the wood. The pink varieties, like 

 Dorothy Perkins and Lady Gay, make 

 long shoots and stakes of considerable 

 length will be needfed for them. 



The most successful way to grow 

 these ramblers is in pots right through 

 the season. They can be lifted in the 

 autumn, but such plants cannot become 

 suflBciently established to force well. When 

 in bloom, it is an easy matter to tell 

 which plants were pot grown all the 

 time and which were lifted from the 

 open ground in the autumn. 



Eed spider is liable to get a foothold 

 on the Crimson Eamblers, but good pres- 

 sure of water from a hose will keep it 

 in check. Do not attempt any drying 

 out at the root before the middle of 

 September. After that date those with 

 the most mature wood can receive re- 

 duced supplies of water. 



Hard-wooded Plants. 



The hard-wooded plants are, or ought 

 to be, either planted or plunged in the 

 open, where they can be freely syringed 

 and watered. Left-over azaleas will now 

 have their growth pretty well completed, 

 but should not be dug up and potted 

 before September. The same applies to 

 acacias, which should now be making 

 strong growth. The various ericas need 

 plenty of moisture at the root, and a 

 dressing of any old spent manure over 

 the ground will be found beneficial. 

 Genistas do not lift readily and, we 

 presume, are in pots. They need clip- 

 ping or pinching once a fortnight to 

 keep them bushy. Boronias plunged in 

 ashes are growing finely, as are erioste- 

 mons, pimelias and other hard-wooded 

 stock. 



No plants differ more than this class 

 from dryness at the root. A thorough 

 drying out means death to the finer 

 ericas, so be sure they are carefully 

 watered and freely syringed. 



0>leus and Alternanthera. 



It may seem early to talk about prop- 

 agating bedding stock, but the present 

 is • a good time to get in a good batch 

 of cuttings of coleus and alternanthera. 

 They are being less used each year, but 

 florists will always find a certain de- 

 mand, for them. In the case of coleus, 

 put them in the propagating bed and 

 keep 'soaked with water. When rooted, 

 put either in flats or several together 

 in 5'inch pots. Keep pinched and they 

 will be nice plants before winter. They 

 are l^ss inclined to become buggy than 

 old plants. You may lift when frost 

 threatens. 



Wi|h alternantheras, the better plan 

 is to. dibble the cuttings right into flats 

 of sandy soil, with good drainage. Keep 

 moist and shaded and they will root 

 quickly and cover the flats with growth 

 before winter. 1^' 



Scented Geraniums. 



T^hre is always a demand for leaves 

 and Shoots of the rose-scented geraniums 

 in winter. If you did not keep any 

 planii over in pots, get a batch of cut- 

 tings in without delay. They must not 

 be kept soaked, as you would alternan- 

 theras and coleus, or all will rot. Give 

 one good watering and a light syringing 

 each day and pot off as soon as roots 

 are ^n inch long. These cuttings will 

 ma,^e nice plants before Christmas if 

 kept potted along. Cuttings of the lem- 

 on-scented verbena, Aloysia citriodpra, 

 also r6ol ffeelv now. Use soft shoots 



and water more freely than you would 

 the geraniums. 



PoinsetUjm/ 



Poinsettia cuttings .root easily now, 

 either in a greenhouse or frame, and 

 nice little plants for pans may be had, 

 put in as late as the middle of August. 

 The early batch, if desired for cutting. 



Buildinf Occupied by Leo Nieuen G>. 



must be potted along or they get pot- 

 bound." Better still, if you have a spare 

 bench or house where you can give them 

 60 degrees at night, you will get some 

 beautiful bracts. It is no use planting 

 them in a carnation or chrysanthemum 

 house. They will grow there quite well 

 until the cool nights of autumn, but at 



the time the bracts begin to develop, 

 when heat is essential, they will lose 

 foliage quickly, and prove* disappointing. 

 In i^xes six niches deep .they »'<^n be 

 kept pu;tdoors until Sep^^ber afi^ then 

 placed in a warn).' hidaaey^ ' 2 /^ 



Poinsettias are 'too leggp^ •«™if, grown 

 to single stems in a pot. Th^'^Jti^. much 

 better planted six or eight t^gemer in 

 8-inch to 10-in^ pa:^?. For this. purpose 

 the late struck cuttings will answer well, 

 as they are Shortier than the earlier 

 rooted ones. Poinsettias quickJy resent 

 careless watering. Dryness eiad soggi- 

 ness will alike quic^y cause a, yellow- 

 ing of the leaves. 



French. Bulbs. 



The bulbs of Eoman hyacinths and 

 Paper White narcissi will be arriving 

 shortly and a good batch of each should 

 at once be placed in flats containing 

 four inches of soil. Bulbous plants as a 

 rule prefer a light and moderately rich 

 soil, to which a little charcoal and sand 

 is added. Fresh manure is harmful, but 

 cow and horse manure several y*ears old, 

 which will crumble up in the 'hanids, is 

 ideal. Flats 15x30 will confckfn about 

 eighty bulbs each. Soak t^xntQughly 

 after the bulbs are planted ^iv^ then 

 cover with three inches of rjteo'-'a^mes, if 

 you leave 'them outdoors. -'-Tfi^pw have 

 a cool and dark cellar, set thienl"on the 

 floor and they will need no covering at 

 all, but water must be given at inter- 

 vals, for nothing ruins bulbs so quickly 

 as dryness at the root. 



Brief Reminders. 



Nephrolepis, adiantum and other ferns 

 established in pots will be much bene- 

 fited by applications of liquid manure 

 once a week. If snails are troublesome, 

 lay traps of cabbage or lettuce leaves 

 and examine them daily. 



The latest propagation of chrysanthe- 

 mums should now be potted. They will 

 still make nice little plants before No- 

 vember. 



If you have not a good supply of 

 boxes ready to plant bulbs in, get lum- 

 ber and make a number when you have 

 spare time. 



Sow mignonette seeds in small pots if 

 you need a supply for Christmas and 

 cannot afford any bench for it. Thin 

 out to three plants in a pot and repot 

 before they become potbound. 



August is a suitable month in which 

 to transplant evergreens. Select cool, 

 showery days for the operation. Lift 

 the plants with good balls and mulch 

 well after planting. 



Continue to transplant seedlings of 

 biennials and perennials when the 

 ground is moist. 



Ply the hoe continually and hand 

 weed among small seedlings, which are 

 easily smothered during this tropical 

 weather when weeds grow so rapidly. 



Eemove Manetti and briar suckers 

 from hybrid roses outdoors. Eemove 

 any berries where flowers were not cut. 



Watch for and destroy the aster 

 beetles. Hand picking is the most ef- 

 fectual. Poison should not be sprinkled 

 over the plants when the flowers are 

 opening. 



Where carnations are grown for sum- 

 mer bloom outdoors the plants will now 

 require some staking. Model carnation 

 supports are good. 



Prepare a good pile of compost for 

 bulbs, which will soon be arriving in 

 quantity. 



Pot the Harrisii lily bulbs as soon as 

 received. 



